How the world has changed! Unfortunately, we’re victims of our technological advancements.

Employers now expect us to sit at a desk for 8 hours without a decent break.

Huge amounts of traffic on the roads means that we become stuck in traffic queues every single day.

The wide variety of TV channels means that we sit at home on the sofa for 5 or 6 hours every evening.

When we sit for long periods, some of our muscles become short and tight. Some muscles become overstretched and weakened. Some muscles become stressed and cause joint pain.

Our spine becomes arched because we sit in a crouched position without even thinking. We end up with back problems and, if you’ve experienced these, you’ll know that a ‘bad back’ can drag you down.

Your lungs have to work harder because your chest cavity becomes smaller – possibly leading to breathing difficultites.

You’ll most likely put on weight when you sit a lot. Your fat busting enzymes become deactivated when you’re not moving meaning the fat cells continue to float around your blood vessels.

Our body isn’t built for such a sedentary existence.

The opposite is actually true – the human body is built to move!

Our blood depends on our movement. Our nerve cells expect us to move. Our bones and joints are healthier because of movement. Our muscles become stronger with movement.

Here’s a very good video from TED that explains it in a nutshell –> https://youtu.be/wUEl8KrMz14

Luckily though, the solutions to this mounting threat are simple and intuitive.

Here are my 10 tips for keeping active:

1. If you have no choice but to sit, avoid slouching and sit up with a straight spine. Just be aware of your posture. Keep your head up and back rather than down and forward. 2. Set yourself a reminder to get up every 30 minutes and walk around, do a few squats, calf raises or leg stretches. Nip to the toilet on the next floor so you climb some stairs. 3. Plan a daily brisk walk. If you don’t plan it, you’ll not do it. 4. Get a dog! 5. Walk to your local shops rather than jumping in the car. 6. Stand up when taking phone calls. 7. Get an App for your phone and record 10,000 steps every day – that’s about 5 miles. 8. Get a FitBit to record your activity. 9. Sign up to a gym to lift weights, to do interval training, to strengthen your core muscles. 10. Join a walking group.